


Here's How it Happens

by tonystarkssnipples



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 11:45:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19295080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonystarkssnipples/pseuds/tonystarkssnipples
Summary: “I got my chance with him. Now it's your turn.” Pepper smiles, shaking and brittle, but honest. “Go love him.”-or-The fic where Steve uses time travel to go back and relive his life with Tony.





	Here's How it Happens

**Author's Note:**

> 1) I saw Endgame on April 25th. I wrote this on April 26th. It has been in my WIP folder for TWO MONTHS because I thought it needed to be longer. I decided it didn't.
> 
> 2) This is my first attempt at writing in the present tense, so don't eat my ass for it. If there's a mistake, kindly leave it in the comments and I will go back to fix it.
> 
> 3) Enjoy this!

Here's how it happens:

There are flowers. A wreath, floated into the lake beside the house where Tony has spent the past five years building his life.

He hasn't cried yet; hasn't known how. He's not even sure he has a right to, after everything.

Pepper pulls him aside, after.  Everyone is mingling. Morgan is on the porch with Happy. It's just the two of them. He's not sure he can handle what she is about to tell him, whatever it is.

“Tony and I...  we had our happily ever after. We built a beautiful life. Not a single second of it do I regret.”

“I'm very happy for you, Ms. Potts.” She didn't take his name. Steve didn't like that; he is old fashioned that way.

“I have responsibilities here. Morgan needs to grow up, have the best life she can. The life Tony imagined for her.”

“If you never need anything from me, I'll be here in a second.” He owes that to Tony. He owes that to the love of his life.

“There is something I need.” She takes a shaky breath. Holds his hand with her left, the brilliant ring sparkling in the beautiful day. “I need you to go back, and I need you to give him the best life you can.”

“I can't bring him here.” The words feel like they are choking him. As always, he'd tried his best and his best was short of enough.

“Steve,” she whispers. “I know. My husband — ” her voice cracks. “ — Tony and I didn't have secrets with each other. I'm grateful he had you, back when… he and I were on and off so long, I'm glad he had someone to love him.”

“We never… not when you were together.” It'd killed him, but loving meant letting go.

“I know. And I know he loved you. Deeply. I also know he didn't love me any less because of it. A person can love two people.”

Steve nods. Everything that had happened, all the shit he and Tony waded through, the years of not talking. Tony loved him through that.

“I'm not entirely sure I'm following ma'am.”

“I got my chance with him. Now it's your turn.” She smiles, shaking and brittle, but honest. “Go love him.”

* * *

Here's how it happens:

He goes to Asgard. Returns the Reality Stone, injecting the Aether into Jane.

He goes to Morag. Steps over Quill's body. Returns the Power Stone.

He goes to Vormir. Seeing the Red Skull doesn't bother him as much as he thought it should. He gives him the Soul Stone, takes one last look at the Natasha he’s known the past ten years.

He goes to Camp Leigh, 1970. He returns the Space Stone. He doesn't look at Peggy. He watches Tony embrace his father.

Finally, he goes to 2012. He returns the Time Stone. The Ancient One thanks him. He goes to the elevator at Stark Tower, returns the Mind Stone.

Six for six. He succeeded.

* * *

Here's how it happens:

Inflation had baffled him at first. Sometimes it still hurt to pay five dollars for a coffee. It was the least of his problems.

So he goes to 1923. Steve was five. He had scarlet fever and they couldn't afford a hospital.

He writes a letter.

 

_ To Mrs. Sarah Rogers, _

_ You have done more for the hospital and its people than everyone else combined. Enclosed is a sum of money that I trust you deserve for your work. I know what they are paying you is not nearly enough. _

_ You seem like a woman who won't accept charity. I respect that. Think of this as a thank you for saving my life. Your hard work and dedication is the reason I am alive. _

_ I owe it all to you. _

_ —  _ _ A kind stranger. _

  
  


Steve watches as his mother crawls out the window to the fire escape for a smoke. Now is his chance. He runs up the stairs. He wishes he could hold his mother, to thank her in person

He can’t.

He opens the mail slot in the door, sliding in the envelope with the note and five hundred dollars enclosed. He'd give anything to give her a hug, to smell her soap. That isn't an option. This will have to do.

Maybe now she won't spend as many nights going to bed without dinner because they only had enough food for one.

She's still on the balcony when he exits the building. "Thank you," he says, not loud enough for her to hear. "Bye mom."

* * *

Here's how it happens:

It's 2013 and Tony is alone. After their home blew up, Pepper couldn't take the pressure. They break up for the first time.

Steve catches Tony in between when she walks out the door and when he grabs the first glass of scotch.

It's like reading a scene from a play, how it's never the same but similar enough. He's seen this play before, only last time he'd gotten there too late, after Tony had already drank half the bottle.

Steve knows it will take Tony six weeks until he's willing to entertain the idea of a date. Another four to kiss him. Three more to talk about the possibility of sex. Another three before he decides he's ready.

So they talk. And it's wonderful. He'd missed this so much in the past eight years he almost hurts with it.

* * *

Here's how it happens:

He sends himself — the him of 2013 — back to 1945. 2013 him hasn't acclimated enough, hasn't found his purpose beyond SHIELD missions. 2013 him goes willingly. 2013 him had no regard for his own life; it could be a damn suicide mission and he didn't care. 

Now it's just the him from 2023 and Tony.

 

* * *

Here's how it happens:

Steve waits until 2014 to tell Tony about Bucky. He tells him when Tony is ready to hear it. When their relationship is on stable enough ground. When they're able to talk about it rationally.

Tony's hurt. And scared. He vows to find Bucky. To fix what happened to him. He does.

* * *

Here's how it happens:

They retrieve the scepter in 2015. As soon as they're back at the Tower, Steve takes Tony aside and they discuss Ultron. They weigh the pros and cons. They figure it out together and ultimately decide it's not worth it.

JARVIS stays. Steve can't say he'll miss FRIDAY. The still recruit Wanda and Pietro. Pietro lives.

* * *

Here's how it happens:

The Sokovia Accords are just called The Accords because there was no disaster in Sokovia. It is 2016. He and Tony are engaged.

Steve’s had a lot of time to think about them, the document that tore them apart. He has time to voice his concerns. Tony listens — they listen to each other now. Tony finagles with the government until there's a version Steve is comfortable signing. So he signs.

 

* * *

Here's how it happens:

Tony finds this kid who calls himself Spiderman. Steve is glad to know Peter is still around even though Steve’s played with his original reality. 

* * *

Here's how it happens:

Pepper and Rhodey and Happy are there. The rest of the Avengers are there. Bucky and Sam are co-best men. Rhodey stands behind Tony and gives him the rings.

They promise their lives to each other on a November evening, with snowflakes starting to sprinkle from the sky.

* * *

Here's how it happens:

Thanos is inevitable. He'd said so himself. The words still echo through Steve's mind on nights he just can't shake the memories.

So in 2018 Thanos comes. But they're prepared. And they're together. Steve learned from mistakes made last time. Before Thanos even has two Stones, Thor has beheaded him.

* * *

Here's how it happens:

Their love is loud, messy. A screeching guitar coupled with a splatter painted canvas. Their love is fierce, unyielding. A burning metal red with a bond of vibranium.

Steve wishes they had this the first time, wishes he doesn’t have to remember a life where he and Tony never made up.

It does no good to dwell on the past. Or the future as the case may be. Because they have this now and it’s beautiful. It works.

He’s happy.

They’re happy.

  
  



End file.
